Kobo Firmware Access and Early Access Program

PeterT · 07-01-2010, 12:48 AM

Check the blog at http://blog.kobobooks.com/2010/06/30...mware-upgrade/

Register for the Early Access Program at http://blog.kobobooks.com/early-access/

roguefan99 · 07-01-2010, 02:20 AM

Ughh, got to wait for Borders to come online to do the firmware update. With the speed and honesty that they had for shipping the kobo, could be waiting a while

I guess I'll at least get to hear the reviews of it before upgrading though.

artificial · 07-01-2010, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roguefan99

Ughh, got to wait for Borders to come online to do the firmware update. With the speed and honesty that they had for shipping the kobo, could be waiting a while

You can still sign up for the Early Access program though:

Quote:

We are making updates available through our “Early Access” program.

[..]

Borders U.S. or Australian user? Sign up now and you’ll be the first to receive the upgrade when it’s available.

stephenb · 07-01-2010, 05:22 AM

Even worse, I bought mine from Whitcoulls. No sign of an update for us.

mTamblyn · 07-01-2010, 07:25 AM

Hi all -- it's Michael Tamblyn from Kobo.

stephenb -- there is a Whitcoulls update coming as well. If you sign up for the Early Access program, we'll send you a link as soon as it is available. We are working with Whitcoulls on the timing of that release now.

For those who are interested, here is the full text of the blog post, with links:

Kobo eReader Firmware Upgrade!

We are very happy to announce that we have firmware upgrades on the way for Kobo eReader customers. I’m going to give as much detail as I can on this process and will be checking the forum to answer any questions that come up over the next couple of days. This is a big post, with lots of info, so let’s get started.

Two Ways to Upgrade

Option 1: Download and Install

Download a new version of the Kobo Desktop application (instructions below). This includes a wizard that will walk you through the Kobo eReader firmware upgrade process. The whole process, end-to-end, takes about 10-20 minutes, depending mostly on Internet connection and the speed of your computer. This can be done in the comfort of your own home and doesn’t require you to re-sync your library afterwards.

Option 2: For Canadian customers:

Starting the week of July 5th, Canadian eReader users can visit the Indigo, Chapters or Coles store they purchased their eReader from and have the upgrade done for them by Indigo staff. This upgrade is performed using an SD Card and requires you to re-sync your books back onto your eReader when you get home. Not a big deal if you have a few books, but can take a while if you have a lot.

For other customers:

We are working with Borders (US), Borders Australia, Angus & Robertson and Whitcoulls this week to schedule the release of upgrades for your eReaders. If you bought devices from these retailers, we will have final dates for you by July 9th.

Getting The Upgrade

We are releasing the upgrade over the course of the next two weeks, but if you’re anxious to get it now, there’s a way to jump to the front of the line!

Starting Tomorrow

We are making updates available through our “Early Access” program. Sign up here:

http://blog.kobobooks.com/early-access

and we will send you a link to download a new version of the Kobo Desktop Reader that includes our eReader upgrade wizard. First come, first served! We are aiming to send the first batch of Early Access emails July 1st and send additional batches July 2nd through 4th (yep, we’re working both US and Canadian holidays to get this out to you!). Borders U.S. or Australian user? Sign up now and you’ll be the first to receive the upgrade when it’s available.

Starting the week of July 5th

SD Card upgrades available in select Indigo, Chapters and Coles stores. (If you bought your eReader there, they will have SD Cards to perform the upgrade.)
Email goes out to all Canadian eReader users, informing them of upgrade options and timing.
We will also be emailing people who have contacted Kobo Customer Care with issues that are addressed by the upgrade.
Kobo Desktops will start to automatically prompt their users to upgrade. (This doesn’t happen all at once. A percentage of the total user base gets prompted on the 5th, then we dial it up through the week until everyone is done.)

What’s In the Upgrade

Everything that we talked about here, here, and here.

The highlights:

The ability to resize fonts for any ePub file, no matter where it comes from.
Improved battery management
The ability to hide/show the preloaded free classics
Charging lights that make sense (red/violet when charging, blue when finished)

During the Upgrade

We have plenty of help options — update FAQs and staff standing by at Kobo Customer Care to answer questions via phone or email. Phone numbers and help links are available throughout the update process if you hit something unexpected or want some help.

As I said in my last post, a hardware upgrade is not for the faint of heart, but we have done everything we could to make this as simple as possible. Unexpected issues may pop up, but we’ll do everything we can to deal with them quickly and get you reading on your new and improved Kobo eReader. Thanks everyone for your patience, suggestions, and advice while we put this together.

Michael Tamblyn

EVP Content, Sales & Merchandising

NickWilliams · 07-01-2010, 10:05 AM

Is there a way for me to download the kobo desktop app so I can get the firmware update? I bought my device from Borders in the US, and all it came with was the Borders desktop. I am not a fan of Borders, and I do not want to install their desktop.

I have been just dragging and dropping my ebooks to the reader, and using ADE for more recent purchases.

I have searched everywhere on the kobo site and cannot find any download links. Help please!

mTamblyn · 07-01-2010, 11:35 AM

NickWilliams - sign up here:

http://blog.kobobooks.com/early-access/

and we will mail you a link for the upgrade.

NickWilliams · 07-01-2010, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mTamblyn

NickWilliams - sign up here:

http://blog.kobobooks.com/early-access/

and we will mail you a link for the upgrade.

Awesome! Thank you!

Vardd · 07-01-2010, 01:32 PM

Thanks, thats good news!

plaid · 07-01-2010, 07:09 PM

Sorry I'm impatient

I signed up for the beta a couple of weeks ago, then I signed up for the early access about two hours after the blog post went up with the links. Pretty please send me the link

Zac · 07-01-2010, 08:19 PM

My understanding that Kobo will be sending out the link for the update on first come first serve basis, so it is important to register as soon as you can.

I am just wondering how many emails/registrants can they process daily?

I have version 1.0 on my ereader. Gee maybe I should leave it that way and keep it as a collector's item!!! LOL!

I love my Kobo and it works wonderfully - other than epubs that have paging and font issues.

EtherealWinter · 07-01-2010, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zac

I have version 1.0 on my ereader. Gee maybe I should leave it that way and keep it as a collector's item!!! LOL!

haha if you leave it at 1.0 you might still be able to run homebrew :P (reference to the PSP)

Stinger · 07-01-2010, 11:23 PM

Just got my email with the download link!

jimr · 07-01-2010, 11:24 PM

Me too! This should be interesting...

Mostly Math · 07-01-2010, 11:30 PM

Me three... but I'm too sleepy to try it now, so we wait until tomorrow.

07-01-2010, 12:48 AM	#1
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,754 Karma: 75000002 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Kobo Firmware Access and Early Access Program Check the blog at http://blog.kobobooks.com/2010/06/30...mware-upgrade/ Register for the Early Access Program at http://blog.kobobooks.com/early-access/

07-01-2010, 07:25 AM	#5
mTamblyn Member Posts: 12 Karma: 60 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kobo eReader, iPhone, iPad	Hi all -- it's Michael Tamblyn from Kobo. stephenb -- there is a Whitcoulls update coming as well. If you sign up for the Early Access program, we'll send you a link as soon as it is available. We are working with Whitcoulls on the timing of that release now. For those who are interested, here is the full text of the blog post, with links: Kobo eReader Firmware Upgrade! We are very happy to announce that we have firmware upgrades on the way for Kobo eReader customers. I’m going to give as much detail as I can on this process and will be checking the forum to answer any questions that come up over the next couple of days. This is a big post, with lots of info, so let’s get started. Two Ways to Upgrade Option 1: Download and Install Download a new version of the Kobo Desktop application (instructions below). This includes a wizard that will walk you through the Kobo eReader firmware upgrade process. The whole process, end-to-end, takes about 10-20 minutes, depending mostly on Internet connection and the speed of your computer. This can be done in the comfort of your own home and doesn’t require you to re-sync your library afterwards. Option 2: For Canadian customers: Starting the week of July 5th, Canadian eReader users can visit the Indigo, Chapters or Coles store they purchased their eReader from and have the upgrade done for them by Indigo staff. This upgrade is performed using an SD Card and requires you to re-sync your books back onto your eReader when you get home. Not a big deal if you have a few books, but can take a while if you have a lot. For other customers: We are working with Borders (US), Borders Australia, Angus & Robertson and Whitcoulls this week to schedule the release of upgrades for your eReaders. If you bought devices from these retailers, we will have final dates for you by July 9th. Getting The Upgrade We are releasing the upgrade over the course of the next two weeks, but if you’re anxious to get it now, there’s a way to jump to the front of the line! Starting Tomorrow We are making updates available through our “Early Access” program. Sign up here: http://blog.kobobooks.com/early-access and we will send you a link to download a new version of the Kobo Desktop Reader that includes our eReader upgrade wizard. First come, first served! We are aiming to send the first batch of Early Access emails July 1st and send additional batches July 2nd through 4th (yep, we’re working both US and Canadian holidays to get this out to you!). Borders U.S. or Australian user? Sign up now and you’ll be the first to receive the upgrade when it’s available. Starting the week of July 5th SD Card upgrades available in select Indigo, Chapters and Coles stores. (If you bought your eReader there, they will have SD Cards to perform the upgrade.) Email goes out to all Canadian eReader users, informing them of upgrade options and timing. We will also be emailing people who have contacted Kobo Customer Care with issues that are addressed by the upgrade. Kobo Desktops will start to automatically prompt their users to upgrade. (This doesn’t happen all at once. A percentage of the total user base gets prompted on the 5th, then we dial it up through the week until everyone is done.) What’s In the Upgrade Everything that we talked about here, here, and here. The highlights: The ability to resize fonts for any ePub file, no matter where it comes from. Improved battery management The ability to hide/show the preloaded free classics Charging lights that make sense (red/violet when charging, blue when finished) During the Upgrade We have plenty of help options — update FAQs and staff standing by at Kobo Customer Care to answer questions via phone or email. Phone numbers and help links are available throughout the update process if you hit something unexpected or want some help. As I said in my last post, a hardware upgrade is not for the faint of heart, but we have done everything we could to make this as simple as possible. Unexpected issues may pop up, but we’ll do everything we can to deal with them quickly and get you reading on your new and improved Kobo eReader. Thanks everyone for your patience, suggestions, and advice while we put this together. Michael Tamblyn EVP Content, Sales & Merchandising

07-01-2010, 08:19 PM	#11
Zac Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo	First Come First Serve My understanding that Kobo will be sending out the link for the update on first come first serve basis, so it is important to register as soon as you can. I am just wondering how many emails/registrants can they process daily? I have version 1.0 on my ereader. Gee maybe I should leave it that way and keep it as a collector's item!!! LOL! I love my Kobo and it works wonderfully - other than epubs that have paging and font issues.

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07-01-2010, 02:20 AM	#2
roguefan99 Zealot Posts: 106 Karma: 16 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Adelaide, Australia Device: Smart Q7, and Kobo	Ughh, got to wait for Borders to come online to do the firmware update. With the speed and honesty that they had for shipping the kobo, could be waiting a while I guess I'll at least get to hear the reviews of it before upgrading though.

07-01-2010, 05:22 AM	#4
stephenb Member Posts: 18 Karma: 82 Join Date: May 2010 Location: New Zealand Device: Kobo, Amazon Kindle 3	Even worse, I bought mine from Whitcoulls. No sign of an update for us.

07-01-2010, 10:05 AM	#6
NickWilliams Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	Is there a way for me to download the kobo desktop app so I can get the firmware update? I bought my device from Borders in the US, and all it came with was the Borders desktop. I am not a fan of Borders, and I do not want to install their desktop. I have been just dragging and dropping my ebooks to the reader, and using ADE for more recent purchases. I have searched everywhere on the kobo site and cannot find any download links. Help please!

07-01-2010, 11:35 AM	#7
mTamblyn Member Posts: 12 Karma: 60 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kobo eReader, iPhone, iPad	NickWilliams - sign up here: http://blog.kobobooks.com/early-access/ and we will mail you a link for the upgrade.

07-01-2010, 01:32 PM	#9
Vardd Member Posts: 16 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	Thanks, thats good news!

07-01-2010, 07:09 PM	#10
plaid Zealot Posts: 100 Karma: 5434 Join Date: Sep 2004 Device: Kobo eReader	Sorry I'm impatient I signed up for the beta a couple of weeks ago, then I signed up for the early access about two hours after the blog post went up with the links. Pretty please send me the link

07-01-2010, 11:23 PM	#13
Stinger Asha'man Posts: 335 Karma: 844 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo	Just got my email with the download link!

07-01-2010, 11:24 PM	#14
jimr Member Posts: 92 Karma: 32 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Kitchener, Ontario Device: Original Kobo	Me too! This should be interesting...

07-01-2010, 11:30 PM	#15
Mostly Math Groupie Posts: 170 Karma: 1154013 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo (loaned out), KoboTouch (given away), KoboVox, KoboGlo, AuraHD	Me three... but I'm too sleepy to try it now, so we wait until tomorrow.

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